Nagpur: The Nagpur Cyber Police have dismantled a fraudulent Rajasthan gang responsible for creating fake Facebook accounts impersonating top police officials, including that of the city Police Commissioner Dr Ravinder Singal.
The operation led to the arrest of three fraudsters: Rakmuddin Khan Shafi Khan, Shakir Khan Kasam Khan, and Innas Khan Nijruddin Khan, all residents of Kota Khurd, Rajasthan. A minor involved in the fraud was also taken into custody.
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Sat 21 Dec. 2024
According to police, the fraudulent activities began in February when the accused created a fake Facebook account in the name of Commissioner of Police Dr Singal. They sent friend requests to numerous users, including Mohammad Yasir Bashir, a resident of Nagpur. Yasir received messages claiming that a friend in the CISF was being transferred and needed to sell household items quickly.
In a bid to assist, Yasir transferred Rs 85,000 to various bank accounts and believed that he was helping a police officer in need. After the money was sent, the scammers went silent. Yasir grew suspicious and reported the incident to the police. Upon receiving the complaint, the Cyber Police registered a case and initiated an investigation. They traced the origin of the fake account to Kota Khurd.
During their inquiries, they discovered that a 17-year-old minor had been responsible for creating the fraudulent ID. Further interrogation revealed that the trio had recruited several youths, including the minor, to assist in their operations. The minor reportedly received Rs 2,000 for each fake ID created. The investigation also uncovered that the gang had forged the IDs of at least five officers, including IPS officer Chinmay Pandit.
To facilitate their fraud, the accused obtained SIM cards from Assam and West Bengal, which were used to create the fake accounts. The police have confiscated four mobile phones and additional items linked to the fraud. The police are interrogating the accused to uncover details.
